Week 1: Acts 1-6

     In Thursday’s lecture we covered the restoration of companionship of the Holy Ghost to mankind. Only days after Christ’s ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles were “all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This marked an extremely important event in the spread of Christ’s church, since the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the authority to bestow it had been taken from the earth previously, and had been absent from it for a long time. After reading Acts 2, and participating in Professor Griffin’s lecture, I couldn’t help but ponder the significance of the Holy Ghost to me for the remainder of the day. 

     I have always felt a unique closeness to the Spirit. For some reason I feel like I’ve been blessed with the undoubting assurance that the Holy Ghost is not just a feeling, but an actual being who is my friend. It's a pretty cool realization, which I didn't fully make until I was a teenager. I remember back to when I used have my horse; We kept her a ways down the dirt road we live on, and the bike ride really only took about 3 minutes. However, during the winter when it got dark early, those bike rides on the narrow road through the dark forest were absolutely terrifying for a girl who is scared of the dark. {Yes, I was a like 15 and still terrified of the dark. Judge me all you want.} I remember pedaling as fast as I could from the barn, willing myself to ignore any sounds I heard or self-created movements in the woods I saw on either side of me, finally to get to the edge of our long driveway where I could see the warm, lit house through the trees and feel safe. After awhile I started looking for ways I could spare myself the unneeded adrenaline rush, and one day came across a line in my Patriarchal blessing that hadn't been so significant to me until this particular issue. This particular line blessed me with the ability to know that the Holy Ghost was "a special treasure," and also with the assurance that he would always be with me. It struck me that Patriarch Brownell didn't refer to the Holy Ghost as 'it' but rather 'he.' I looked up more about the Holy Ghost and refreshed my memory on what we know about him. He is a personage of spirit, and therefore an individual just like me, only without a body. It was then that I came to know him as my friend, and not just this shapeless cloud of stuff that can make a person "feel good." Maybe it's a little immature, but since that day I always pictured him beside me when I was scared. Especially during those dark bike rides coming home from the barn!

     After that day I really have never felt alone or deserted. Only when I've done something that's rendered me unworthy of his companionship do I feel emptiness. His presence is something I hold precious. I know that he helps me make wise decisions, leads me into situations where I can help another or receive help for myself, guides me out of situations that would be negative for me, and offers personal revelation to me to help me grow closer to my Savior. He is the conduit between us and our loving Father in Heaven, and one of my truest, most dependable friends. The Holy Ghost is most definitely a special treasure to me.